What should every bash script start with?

Every bash script should start with #!/bin/bash followed by set -euo pipefail to enable strict error handling. This exits on errors, catches unset variables, and detects pipe failures.

What does set -euo pipefail do in bash?

set -e exits the script if any command fails. set -u treats unset variables as errors. set -o pipefail catches failures in piped commands, not just the last command.

How do I add a --help flag to a bash script?

Use getopts to parse arguments. Check for -h and print a usage message then exit 0. The boilerplate generator on this page includes a ready-made argument parser you can toggle on.

How do I prevent a bash script from running twice?

Use a lock file: check if /tmp/myscript.lock exists at start, exit if it does, create it if not, and use trap to delete it on exit. The boilerplate generator includes a lock file option.

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